Former presidential aide and Ambassador-Designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has defended the economic policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that Nigeria is in a better economic position than it was when the administration took over in 2023.
Omokri stated this in a post shared on his social media platforms on Monday, where he highlighted what he described as key economic gains recorded under the current administration.
According to him, Nigeria’s inflation rate has declined from 23 percent before Tinubu assumed office to 15.9 percent.
He also noted that the national minimum wage has increased from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000.
“Before President Tinubu, FAAC shared an average of ₦700 billion monthly to states and local governments. Today, the figure is estimated at ₦2.1 trillion monthly,” Omokri said.
He argued that the increase in monthly allocations has strengthened the finances of states and local governments, adding that while many states struggled to pay salaries in 2022, all states are now able to meet their wage obligations.
The ambassador-designate further claimed that Nigeria’s foreign reserves have risen to $51.04 billion, describing it as the highest level in 17 years.
On education, Omokri said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, has benefited about one-third of the country’s 3.1 million university undergraduates.
He also pointed to the absence of nationwide strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in the last three years.
“In this administration, a four-year course remains a four-year course,” he stated.
Speaking on infrastructure, Omokri cited projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Illela-Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and the Trans-Saharan Road as evidence of the government’s commitment to improving connectivity and economic growth.
He further claimed that Nigeria has moved from being Africa’s largest importer of refined petroleum products in 2022 to becoming the largest exporter of refined petroleum products in West Africa.
According to him, the economy has also recorded 12 consecutive quarters of Gross Domestic Product, GDP, growth and trade surpluses, resulting in increased manufacturing capacity.
“I appeal to Nigerians to put things in their proper perspective and refuse to allow uninformed elements to confuse them. Nigeria is definitely better today than it was in 2023,” Omokri said.
His comments come amid ongoing debates over the impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms on the cost of living and the overall welfare of Nigerians.
